The Lost Prodigy of the Lost and Forgotten Cities
by sereiinako
Summary: Carmen Silvis Woods had always wanted to live a normal life- non-pushy parents, annoying siblings; she got those. But being able to hear thoughts and the ability to remember everything you see? The story twists into a bigger situation as she realizes that she's not the only one with a problem. Carmen and Sophie Elizabeth Foster both find that they don't stand alone...
1. Preface

There was no light.

There was no sound.

There was only darkness, and she was alone. Utterly defenseless in this wasteland. She had no desire to see where this place was or if it even existed at all. Nothing compelled her to try and see. If what happened hadn't, she wouldn't have ended up here, though nothing would ever make her want to go back and receive those headaches she would get. It was too much.

So she laid there, thinking over how she'd ended up defenseless and alone, how and why she'd risked her life just to end up here.

Forgotten, not a soul remembered who she was, or what she'd done for, not just for her friends, but the whole world. Not a soul remembered, or even heard of, the name Carmen Woods.

* * *

 _Hey! I finally got my computer to work and now I can start to share some stories with you! Please review- good or bad, I don't mind- and come back for chapter 1!_

 _*remember, this was the preface*_

 _~Misty36_


	2. One

Hey, Misty36 here, back with another chapter of _The Lost Prodigy_! From the time I posted the Preface to now, I only got 3 reviews, one of was from me because I forgot to apply what I said to the actual chapter. They were both from guests:

 _KOTLC 1 Fan_ : Thanks! I plan on doing more, and I'm flattered you already want to F&F me! This is only my first story. Why don't you make a profile? Unless you need permission, it's simple to make. Anyway, thanks for your support and I hope to see your name frequently in the reviews!

 _Guest_ : Thanks!

* * *

This part is when Carmen runs into someone who tells her all the information she's wanted to know. Enjoy!

Carmen sat with her eyes closed, listening to her music, while also listening to her lesson at the same time. Her high school class was at the Las Cruces History Museum, learning about the age of the dinosaurs. She was at the back of the room they were currently in, a worker at the museum giving them a lecture on the brontosaurus.

"Miss Woods." Carmen's eyes popped open. Mr. Robinson pulled out her earbuds by the cord, glaring at her, obviously disappointed that she wasn't listening. "What are you doing with earbuds in? Just because you are a young prodigy doesn't mean you get to disregard the lesson altogether. You are being very disrespectful to Miss Greenery." He held her earbuds so that they dangled from his hand. "You will get these back at the end of the trip, but I don't want you to be doing anything else on your phone. Unless you want me to take that device away from you too."

Carmen shook her head softly, already having a headache from the people around her. There were so many bits of jumbled thoughts that filled her head.

She knew she wasn't normal.

The fact that she could hear what others were thinking and not being able to block it out annoyed Carmen to no end. She'd tried enough times to ignore the thoughts, to block them out of her head. Nothing she tried worked. Plus, her photographic memory wasn't helping her feel any better about her _special abilities_.

"Good. Now, because you think you're already smart enough to know all of this. shall we see what you _really_ know about the subject?" Mr. Robinson turned back to the worker. "Sorry for the interruption, but, perhaps, you could let Carmen take over the rest of the lesson? To see what my student has learned?"

Miss Greenery looked at Carmen in surprise, despite having read the newspapers from a few days ago. It was obvious that she was shocked by the size of Carmen, and how young she looked. She nodded, walking down towards where Carmen sat, and kept her eyes on the girl about to proceed with the lecture.

Her photographic memory flashed Carmen an image of the label at the front of the statue from the front of the museum, with every recorded detail about the creature. She recited every word from the description, and when she was done, she could hear bitter, jealous thoughts coming from the older students. Carmen always wanted to stay in the back, but at times like this, there was no avoiding the sour remarks her classmates would get in trouble for saying out loud. That was what she got in return for being a 12 year old prodigy in high school.

Mr. Robinson grumbled under his breath, Carmen unable to hear what he had said. Probably something like "know-it-all."

"Thanks for showing off, Smart One," someone called from the group of students, some laughing or nodding in response. Carmen rolled her eyes. She always tried to ignore what her classmates actually say, because sometimes it hurt more when they said it out loud.

Carmen shuffled back to her seat, so that Miss Greenery could direct them to another room that another worker, and a different lesson, would be held. They followed Miss Greenery out the large double doors, and the statue that greeted them was another dinosaur standing on two legs.

But the dinosaur wasn't what caught Carmen's attention. A dark haired boy was on the other side, holding the newspaper from a few days ago... with an embarrassing photo of her on the front. She cringed a little. The newspaper had heard about Carmen, insisting on doing a column on her. No, not a column. A whole page. And Carmen didn't like the attention.

She tried to walk fast, so that the boy wouldn't have the chance of seeing or talking to her. But she wasn't fast enough. He looked up, then back down at the paper, then looked back at her. When she caught his gaze, her feet stopped, her body not letting her move. The boy slowly walked up to her.

"Is this you?"

Carmen nodded, her voice not working. Her gaze shifted to the nearest window. There were many fires burning throughout the city, and no one knew how or why they were around. The unnaturally, completely navy blue flames sparked yellow-white flakes, sometimes causing more flames to start up. Even the firefighters didn't know how to put them out. Everything they tried didn't work.

He nodded too. "Thought so." Carmen's gaze shot back to the boy as he answered. The boy seemed to be about 14, and by far the cutest boy Carmen had seen. Why was he talking to her?

He looked back down to the paper, concentrating on the picture on the page. "Huh." He looked back at Carmen, just gazing at her face.

"Umm... Why are you staring at me?" Carmen asked, becoming a little more cautious of the boy.

"I couldn't tell your eyes were green."

Now this confused Carmen. Why did he care about the color of her eyes? "Yeah. Why?"

"Oh. No reason. It was just hard to tell."

"Yeah-huh." Carmen just looked at the teen, her eyes eventually landing on his. She hadn't realized how pretty the color of his eyes were. A soft, oceanic blue. "I'm gonna go now."

She turned towards the direction of the next lesson, when a kindergarten class shoved by her before she could move. The loudness of their screams was enough to take Carmen back a few steps, but their mental voices were on a whole different level. It felt like little needles, hundreds of them, stabbing at her brain repeatedly.

Her hands instinctively went to her head, her fingers rubbing her temples to ease the pain, eyes shut tightly.

Then she remembered she wasn't alone.

Carmen opened her eyes, her sight darting to the teen, whose face had the same pained expression she assumed she'd just had.

When he opened his eyes again, he blinked a couple times before he looked back at Carmen, who was still wincing in agony.

"Did you just... hear that?"

He couldn't possibly mean... No. He had to be talking about the loud, screaming voices of the kids.

Wait.

 _Voices_.

She couldn't hear his thoughts. Carmen couldn't hear his voice unless he was talking. She didn't know that was possible.

"You did, didn't you?" He looked at her in surprise. He leaned in as so to be sure that only Carmen could hear him. "Are you a Telepath?" he whispered.

Carmen flinched at the word, and her reaction gave her away immediately. So much for being discreet.

"You are! I can't believe it," he said, his voice still hushed.

"Who- you? I- What do- Can you- voices?" Carmen's words started to jumble up. The boy looked at her, obviously concerned, then put his hands on her shoulders. "Whoa. Just stop talking for a second."

Carmen stopped. She tilted her head down, her dirty blonde hair falling forward, covering her face.

"Calm down. I'm here to help you."

Carmen did as she was told, taking deep breaths to regain her composure. "Would you mind explaining to me why you think I'm a _Telepath_?" she asked once her words worked.

"You didn't leave as soon as those kids left. You also seemed cautious enough to have left right away. But you didn't. Something must have made you stop."

He had a point there. But one question still rang in Carmen's mind: "Who are you?"

"My name is Jist."

Carmen tried to hold back the laugh in her throat. What kind of name was Jist?

"We've been looking for you for a long time, Carmen."

"How long?" she asked, her voice quiet like she was afraid to ask.

"12 years," he simply stated, "He wouldn't stop looking for you when no one else believed. So determined her dragged me into it. I guess he was right after all." Jist was talking to himself as much as he was her, but he continued, "Then again, when has he ever been wrong?"

Someone? Determined? To find _her_? None of this was making any sense. Who was looking for her? The world started spinning.

 _Air._

She needed air.

Carmen sprinted away, Jist calling after her. "Carmen! Wait!"

Carmen pushed open the two front doors with all the strength her arms could muster.

The fires of Las Cruces burned a bright navy blue, the yellow-white sparks radiating off them landing on her skin, leaving a faint sting. She ran across the street realizing only too late that she hadn't looked both ways. A car swerved, struggling to avoid hitting her.

Her legs refused to let her move, gluing her to the street. When the driver was able to regain control of the car, avoiding her, his car turned straight onto the lamppost. The post disconnected from its base, starting to fall so that its ending path would end up right on Carmen.

* * *

 _Ooh... What'll happen next? Sorry, but you're just going to have to wait and see. Hehe. I know. Cliffhangers are cruel things. which is why I'm not a fan of them either. Especially the one at the end of KotLC Neverseen. Leave it to authors to ruin your day!_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I also hope to see any of your names in the reviews frequently!_

 _~ Misty36_


	3. Two

Hey! Misty36 here, with another chapter of _The Lost Prodigy_. I know I'm not that popular, but Kotlc 1 Fan reviewed once again and was my only reviewer of the chapter. Thank you for all your kind words, and I will be sure to look for _Double Trouble_ when you post it. Please stay a constant follower!

Now this is when Carmen ran away from Jist, unsure of what exactly is going on. Now we left off with a lamppost falling towards Carmen, and I think you all know that I wouldn't just crush Carmen with a pole, so... what'll happen?

* * *

Carmen squealed and shut her eyes tight as instinct took over.

 _Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!_

A rushing feeling went through her gut as she held her hand out towards the lamppost, a wave of adrenaline seeping through her veins. As her panic slowly drifted away, as she realized that the post wasn't coming anymore, she opened her eyes and gasped.

The pole was sitting in the air, held up by Carmen's mind- or, that's what it looked like. It didn't feel heavy at all, though it must've weighed a ton.

"Put it down," a familiar voice called from behind, making Carmen jump.

Her concentration broke, leaving the lamp with no mental support. It started to fall again, like its path hadn't been disrupted.

"Watch out!" Jist shouted, diving into Carmen to move her out of the way of the post. Carmen landed on top of Jist, gazing into those blue eyes again.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Carmen nodded.

"How'd you do that?"

Honestly, Carmen didn't know. She saw the lamppost falling towards her and her brain just... reacted. She realized she still had to answer the question, but she didn't know how. So she simply shrugged her shoulders and crawled off of Jist.

"We should go somewhere safer." He pointed to the driver, his eyes wide in shock.

"He saw," Carmen breathed. Jist nodded and grabbed her hand. Her heart fluttered at the touch.

"We need to be somewhere so that people won't notice we've gone."

"Gone?" Carmen asked, confused and wondering where they would go. She let go of his hand.

"I still can't believe..." He trailed off, then he addressed her, "We'll leave through light."

Carmen stifled a laugh. "Light? We can't leave through _light_."

"Yeah, we can," Jist said. "Why wouldn't we be able to?"

"Uh, because of the Theory of Relativity?"

"Who came up with that?" he asked.

"Albert Einstein," Carmen said flatly, yet surprised he'd asked.

Jist burst into laughter. "I have no idea who that is, but they're wrong," he said when he stopped laughing.

He hadn't heard of _Albert Einstein_? And how could he be _wrong_?

"I understand if you don't trust me right now, but if you'd let me show you I'm not lying-"

"How can you _show_ me? We can't leave through _light_. There are many things from preventing that being possible."

"Just let me show you," he said, offering her his hand. The reassuring smile he flashed made Carmen's heart flutter again.

Carmen hesitated.

Should she go with him?

Slowly, still unsure, she reached for his hand and took it. He led her towards the side of the road, crouching down behind a big bush. Jist pulled out something shaped like a wand, the adjustable crystals spiraling around the hilt sparkling as he held it up towards the sky.

"What's that?" Carmen asked as a column of light appeared right in front of the tip. "It looks like a wand."

"It isn't. It's a pathfinder. It manipulates the light, creating a path for us to travel through."

"How's this going to work?"

"Nothing will happen to you, though you'll want to keep a good hold of me. It'll feel tingly, like when your leg falls asleep. You don't have anything to worry about; I'm doing the hard part," Jist replied.

He pulled her into the light before she could ask any more questions.

* * *

 _I know. This chapter was shorter than usual. But I got it updated! And if you like this, keep your eyes open for Double Trouble, which is now posted from a friend of mine: KOTLC 1 Fan._

 _We're thinking of doing a story together, so keep your eyes open for that too._

 _Thanks for reading and I hope you stay for the long journey ahead!_

 _~Misty36_


	4. Three

Hey, Misty36 here, back and still alive! To anyone who actually cares... Sorry for the long period of absence. I was visiting family out of state and I couldn't _do_ anything. So I only got two reviews on chapter 2 so let's see 'em.

KOTLC #1 Fan: Of course I mentioned you and your fabulous story. Yay! I have a friend! Looking forward to any and all your updates!

strawbr'yonde periwinkle love: First off, thanks for the review. Second, the characters personalities will be the same. Plot wise, _that_ will differ from the original Keeper. The person I have who is like Keefe (no name yet) will be like Keefe. Carmen is like Sophie and Jist is like Fitz, as you can already tell. Jist's sister (no name yet) will be like Biana and Faze (like Dex) is this smart technopath who still wants to manifest as something else. Will do! And I hope you stick around!

* * *

"Whoa…"

That was all Carmen could say. The building in front of them was beautifully built. It was shaped like a dome, crystals piling up into columns until it curved onto the roof. The whole thing looked to be made entirely out of crystal, from the walls to the doors at the front. Carmen and Jist stood still, Jist looking at her, struggling to hold back his amusement because of her awestruck face. They were at the front of the gates, the iron used for them seeming brand new.

The trees around them looked like pines, and yet, they didn't. They pointed upwards, like a triangle, but the leaves weren't pine needles. They were all the leaves Carmen had seen on all trees she'd ever known.

"This is the capital of the Forgotten Cities, Solstice."

"As in the Summer and Winter Solstice?" Carmen asked.

"Yes. It's our brightest city, so the name just fit."

"Who built this?"

"You are one of them. Sorry, but I don't know exactly how to tell you this, but we aren't exactly human," Jist said, keeping Carmen steady.

"So… I'm an… alien?"

Jist burst into laughter. "No. You're an elf, just like me and the people who built this."

"The elves?" Carmen's mind flashed her an image of Christmas elves with pointed ears, striped leggings, and little bells on their pointed shoes.

She didn't want to be an alien, but being an elf didn't sound much better.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Jist grabbed her hand again and dragged her to the nearest bush against the wall. He placed a finger over his lips.

"Why are we hiding?" Carmen whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jist pointed to the gates. "The guards are going back on patrol. They can't see us because they'll think we're humans."

"What's wrong with that?" She kept her voice low.

"Humans are forbidden here. The clothes we're wearing would point out you aren't from here, and though I live here, I'm in disguise, so they won't recognize me."

Carmen looked at the opening gates. Large, lumpy figures came out, all of them carrying a spear. Each figure wore brown tunics with matching pants, with a belt around their waist. The belts had pouches, which no doubt held more weapons.

"What're those?"

"A living creature like you and me. A goblin," he whispered back, "The most commonly chosen for body guards."

Carmen furrowed her brow in thought. "Who needs them?"

"The Elvin Board. They make the rules, watch over the Forgotten Cities, things like that," Jist answered. "This is where you truly belong, Carmen. You _are_ one of us. But for now, we need to get you home."

Carmen had waited so long to hear those words.

 _Where you truly belong._

But the thought of home struck her. Her parents must be going crazy not knowing where she was.

She nodded as they crawled away from the gates to a part of the forest the goblins couldn't see. Jist pulled out the pathfinder again and they went through the light, arriving back in Las Cruces.

But this time, they were in front of Carmen's house.

How did he know where she lived?

"How will I find you again?" she asked, pulling her hand away from Jist's, looking him in the eyes.

"Don't worry. _I'll_ find _you_."

And with that, he leaped away before Carmen could say anything else.


	5. Four

Hey, Misty36, here, with another chapter of _The Lost Prodigy_! I am aware, though, that I'm not popular, so I was prepared to receive very few reviews.

KOTLC 1 Fan, or Paris, was the only review. Thanks, Paris, for your loyalty. Who are your other BFFs on FF? I _think_ it's strawbr'yblonde periwinkle love and thatsencenboyXD, but I could be wrong. Just let me know if I'm wrong or not. Please stay for the long journey ahead, and I will look for Ocean's Dreams when it is published!

Let's see what Carmen's parents have to say about her sudden disappearance.

* * *

"Where were you?" Her mother scrambled over to where Carmen stood in front of the door.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I just got sidetracked."

The word "just" reminded her of Jist.

"Where ever you were, you frightened me! Promise me you'll never do it again."

Carmen nodded. "I promise."

Her mother pulled her into a hug. "I was just _so_ worried."

That word again. "You know, Mom, I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna go to bed." Carmen pulled back. "I'll just grab a snack."

Now it would seem the word "just" was being said repeatedly on purpose. Her mother nodded in response.

Katie Woods was a woman who always worried where Carmen was, who didn't like any public attention. Their family always had a low profile. So when the Cruces Gazette wrote about Carmen, she looked like she was going to strangle somebody. And because of the worry of Carmen's safety, she told her daughter to stay in the back of places, and not be out in the open alone… and to keep wearing those dull colors.

"Ooh, ooh!" called a voice from the top of the stairs, "Carmen's home! Now I can see what Mommy's gonna do!"

Carmen rolled her eyes at her little brother. Connor was always the first one out of her two siblings to be down the stairs and sitting patiently on the couch, waiting for Carmen's punishment.

Now seven-year-old Alyssa, on the other hand, was completely different. She was the shy one in the family, and didn't look for any sort of trouble. Even though she was still sitting with her older brother, waiting as patiently as he was.

Alyssa walked quietly down the stairs, shuffling towards her grinning nine-year-old brother. She sat down, pushing her glasses up her nose as her brown hair fell, covering her face.

"I've excused her. You guys must get on her nerves all the time, huh?" Katie asked, turning towards the kitchen.

Carmen nodded, crossing her arms. "You can always count on them to make a bad day worse."

Connor gave a toothy smile, one of his front teeth missing. "Yep. It's our job!

Right, Alyssa?"

Alyssa nodded.

"You know what? I'm gonna go to my room and lock the both of you out," Carmen said, walking towards the stairs. "I'll just go to bed without anything to eat."

"High five! We succeeded!"

Alyssa slapped Connor's waiting hand while Carmen sprinted up the stairs to get away from her annoying siblings.

* * *

Carmen walked through the Cruces High School halls, thinking about the events of the day before.

 _Where you truly belong._

That's what Jist had said. She'd waited so long to hear those words, but she never thought she'd hear them from an _elf_.

She didn't think that she would belong in the Forgotten Cities.

She didn't _think_ she was an elf.

But she was.

Jist had told her that too.

As she walked towards third period, she thought over the possibilities of moving to the Forgotten Cities. She could possibly go to Solstice. Or where Jist lives. Carmen's heart fluttered at the thought of sharing a house with Jist.

She was so focused on her thoughts, she almost didn't notice the student sitting on the bench to the side of the hall. No, not a student.

Jist.

He was gazing at her with those blue eyes. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize I was sitting here," he started. "It looked like you were staring right at me, but I guess you weren't paying any attention."

"I wasn't," Carmen agreed as she stopped to stand in front of him, "But at least I saw you before I passed."

Jist nodded. "I want to show you something," he said after a minute, "but we'll have to leave."

"But I can't just ditch my classes."

"I know, but don't you want to see what I want to show you? Not even a little curious?" He was manipulating her inquisitive mind, already knowing how curious she could get.

Carmen didn't have an answer to that.

"Thought so. Come on." Jist extended his hand while his other reached into his

pocket. "You _are_ curious, right?"

Carmen nodded as she took his hand. Jist stood up, and led her to the side doors that went outside, avoiding the secretaries in the front office. Jist pulled out his pathfinder, holding it up to the sun. A streak of light appeared directly in front of them. Carmen turned to look Jist in the eye, the blue orbs holding a slight twinkle of mischief.

"What exactly do you want to show me?"

"You'll see," Jist said as he pulled her into the waiting column of light.

* * *

I realize that this was rather short and a faster update, but it's always better to get an update, short or long.

Misty36, signing off.


	6. Five

"Where are we?"

The island they faded into was made of rocks, pebbles, boulders, and more rocks. To Carmen's right was a small cave, the darkness within its gaping mouth quite intimidating. There was ocean all around the two, no other sign of land in sight.

"The entrance to Nova," Jist replied, "We can't leap there because light can't reach it."

"Where exactly is Nova?"

Jist held up a finger. "Hold on. I'll tell you when he comes."

"Who?" Carmen asked, her confusion level rising as Jist picked up a small pebble and threw it in the direction of the cave. It struck the side, an echo resounding from inside the cavern.

"I'm here!" Jist called towards the opening.

A figure in a cape walked out from behind the boulders, the fabric reaching down to his ankles. His clothing was refined and elegant, the oceanic blue matching his eyes.

He glanced at Carmen, then to Jist, his eyes filled with surprise. "You brought her here?"

"Don't you think she deserves to know what's going on?"

"Know what? What should I know about?" Carmen asked as her confusion level raised ever higher. Though, from what was already said, a small amount of curiosity added to her confusion. A mix like that would only end in a disaster in her mind; wispy confusion that appeared whenever her questions traveled unanswered and soft circles of curiosity when she uncovered something new.

If anything more was added, her head might explode.

"We should start from the beginning," the man said, "I'm Carden." He reached out his hand.

"Carmen," she said hesitantly, slowly taking his hand and shaking it.

He nodded. "I'd heard. Though, honestly, Jist, you could've acknowledged me you were bringing her."

"Sorry, Dad."

 _Dad_? Now that she thought about it, their eyes and hair color matched completely, facial features similar and almost exactly the same. The only difference was several inches in height and probably personalities.

"What do I need to know about?" Carmen asked again. "Rather, what do I _deserve_ to know about?"

Carden sighed, looking straight into Carmen's eyes. It made Carmen feel uncomfortable, like he was peering right into her soul. "The fires occurring in your home are not normal," he said. "Though we don't know the cause of them, because we elves haven't been there, we have a theory it might be Flareflame."

"I think we all knew they weren't normal fires," Carmen admitted, still confused, "but what's Flareflame?"

"A special, blue fire that only three Pyrokinetics can spark." Jist took the lead. "It can only be stopped by the Pyrokinetic himself, or those who truly want it gone can make it disappear. Pyrokinetic or not, the elf who wants it to die out has to pull out all the willpower they have, then shove the willpower out of their minds into the flames."

Carden nodded. "It isn't something you'd want to be throwing around just because you can spark it. It takes a lot of skill that only three of the four Pyrokinetics have." He held up three fingers as he spoke.

"How do you know there's only four?" She bit her tongue before she overwhelmed herself with all her questions.

"We've registered them into special files, so that we can be sure they won't try anything suspicious." Carden turned his head to glare at Jist for a second before continuing, "I know you have a lot of questions, but we should enter the city."

"How are we going to do that? There's no entrance or anything anywhere. There's only the cave and even I can see that it ends not too far down."

"We'll enter the city through this." Carden snapped his fingers, causing a whirlpool to form in the ocean.

"That's not possible either," Carmen protested.

Jist put a hand on her shoulder. "Everything I've shown you has been possible. Why should this be any different?"

Carmen looked at him in slight disbelief. She _did_ trust him, probably more than anyone else, but there were still some things that made Carmen go against the element.

"Would I lie to you?"

That statement hit Carmen hard. He hadn't lied to her, not even about who he was. And she was sure he wouldn't lie about anything. Carmen bit her lip, anxiety pounding on the walls of her heart, begging to be set free.

Jist lowered his hand so that it wrapped around Carmen's waist, pulling her in gently. "We'll go in together, okay?"

Carmen nodded. She put her arm around Jist so she'd have a good grip on him.

"Don't struggle against the pull. It will only make it harder," Carden said as they walked up to the shore line.

Carmen tensed, the speed of the pool a little nauseating.

"Hey." Jist tilted his head down while Carmen looked up. "If you get hurt- which won't happen- or if anything else happens, I'll let you punch me in the stomach as hard as you can. Deal?"

It didn't sound entirely fair for Jist, but she nodded her head slowly.

Carden gave her a reassuring smile when she looked at him. Then he jumped.

Carmen squealed at Carden's sudden disappearance. Jist snickered as he tugged at Carmen, hinting for them to do the same.

"Hold your breath," Jist reminded her.

She took a deep breath, then another, then nodded up to Jist. Still holding onto each other, they jumped into the swirls of the pool.


	7. Six

Hey guys! Sorry for the sudden absence. I was... Man. I don't even have an excuse for why I was gone so long. I guess I was just lazy. Anyway... I got some reviews that I would like to go over before you rush off to see what happens after they jumped into the water.

Paris actually didn't review this time, but I got 2 others:

Bookworm: Oh, it'll differ quite a bit. If you reread the summary, you'll see that I updated it a little bit, and it'll give you a slight idea of how I'm taking my spin. And, sorry, but no. It was not the entrance to Jist's house. I like to write cute stuff and sometimes emotional, but emotions aren't really my expertise, so I'm working on that. I hope to see your name around frequently! :D

Aqua Foster: Awww. Thanks! I'm glad you think that way. You'll find out what happens now! You don't have to wait on the edge of your seat! :P

 **-READ PLEASE-**

 **OH, AND GUYS. I GOT A PIC THAT REPRESENTS _THE LOST PRODIGY_! I DREW IT MYSELF. AND I WON'T BE AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE, SO DON'T EXPECT MANY UPDATES, THOUGH I WILL TRY TO GET IN AS MANY AS I CAN. THANKS!**

* * *

It was cold. The current of the pool pulled them down, the pressure feeling and getting heavier against Carmen's chest. She kept her eyelids shut tightly, unwilling to take the risk of opening them.

But she did anyway.

She blinked a few times to clear her vision. The salty water didn't even sting her eyes. Her surprise was too much to contain; it was like a jack in the box. Once it's trigger was twisted enough times, it exploded out of her as she saw the beauty of the water.

They were in a thin spiral of air, and all around them there were swirls of teals, sea greens, ceruleans, and an oceanic blue like Jist's eyes.

Past the swirls were small, turquoise fish darting around, and every now and then, Carmen caught a glimpse of a sea turtle. They went low enough to see a coral reef.

Even more fish swam around, squeezing through coral and bush-like plants. They looked like they were playing hide and seek.

She turned her head straight into Jist's chest. She'd almost forgotten he was holding her. Carmen looked up at his face, her gaze meeting closed eyes, his breathing felt steady against her head. He looked so calm and peaceful, like the two weren't even underwater. She kept her head there, closing her eyes against the oceanic beauties.

Jist's breathing stayed steady and peaceful. It was so peaceful that it calmed Carmen. All her worries disappeared. Nothing problematic in the world affected her or even mattered. Nothing troubled her, and everything made sense, all in that one moment.

Carmen was so serene that she didn't even notice that the ride stopped.

"Carmen."

She opened her eyes slowly, her vision a little blurry, but she could still make out Jist's chest.

"Carmen."

She blinked a few more times to rid her sight of blurriness and looked up, meeting his oceanic blue irises.

"I'm assuming you're fine and that you enjoyed the ride down?" he asked, chuckling a bit.

Carmen scrunched her shoulders up so that they touched the sides of her face, wishing she could hide her flushing cheeks.

Jist snickered. "It's okay to have been a little nervous." He leaned down so he could whisper into her ear, "I was too when I first went down."

"You were?" Carmen asked, trying to keep the slight tone of surprise out of her voice. "How were _you_ nervous from _that_?"

"Probably for the same reason as you. I mean, I was only four when my dad told me to go with him to Nova. I was excited at the time. Nova was always a city I wanted to visit and see. But when we leaped to the island, he told me to jump into that pool he'd formed. Since I was so small, it looked like it would just consume me and I would be lost to the waters."

"But you knew that your dad wouldn't let anything happen to you," Carmen guessed. "What did he do? Did he do anything to calm you or say anything about it?"

"He told me to pretend that I was at home in bed, safely tucked under the covers so that nothing would be able to get to me."

"Did it help?"

"Yes. I've only opened my eyes once, and I saw the fish, colors and plant life and stuff." Jist stepped away, still looking Carmen in the eyes and talking. "The one time was enough," he said.

"You still use that technique, don't you?" Carmen asked, wondering if that was why Jist had his eyes closed.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Carmen grinned. "I was there in the pool too, you know. It's not everyday you get pulled into situations like this. But I guess if you want to pretend I'm not here, that you never found me and brought me into your life then that's fine by me. I'll just walk along with you and stay silent, or I could find another way home."

Jist took the exaggerated hint and rolled his eyes. "All you have to say is that you opened your eyes."

Carmen nodded, still smiling. "I mean, I wasn't going to, but I did anyway. It was like something was telling me to relax and just look."

Jist nodded, putting a hand on his chin like he was thinking about what she said.

"Come on." He motioned with his head to where Carden stood. "We've got somewhere to be."

* * *

Sorry I know that was short, but I hope it was enough to satisfy you guys for a little bit. I suggest that you go check out KOTLC 1 Fan's _Double Trouble_ , Xylia Neo's _Payback's a Nightmare_ , and Saphara's _Found_ , if you haven't already. All are KotLC based, and two of them are the second generation.

Hang in there while I'm gone though, guys! I'll try to get in as many chapters as I can, and I hope you'll be ready for me when I return. I'm actually already gone.

*wraps cloak around figure and sinks to the ground. wind blows it off, yet the author is nowhere to be found*


	8. Seven

Hey guys! I was actually able to get this in! YAY! I honestly think you guys will love this. But first... reviews!

Paris: It's ok if you're busy. We all get busy from time to time. I'm busy right now so it was rather hard for me to actually write this and get it uploaded. Of course I recommended your story- I love it! HAPPY NEW YEAR! *falls back into two different chants of Sophitz and Foster-Keefe*

Bookwyrm: It's a talent I've learned to control over the years. Maybe I could "teach" you someday. That trick Jist used probably would've worked for me too. And, actually, we've met 6, plus background characters (very few background characters) and now 8 characters... kind of. You no longer have to wait! Here's chapter 7! And thanks. It took me over 2 hours to draw it, color it to look good and actually get the framing on this site right for it.

I've rambled on for long enough. You deserve to read this now. *throws confetti at you and snaps fingers to make the chapter appear*

* * *

It was dark on the inside of the tent; almost an eerie, inky blackness. There were a few doors to the sides of the corridor the trio walked through, light seeping from slits under the doors. Carden stayed in front of Carmen and Jist, acting as if he were their tour guide.

"Why is it so dark?" Carmen asked softly, almost bumping into Jist as she spoke and shuffled her feet along with the other two.

"Beats me," he answered in the same, low tone. "I think it's always been like this."

"Doesn't that make it a little hard for the others coming for one of these readings to see where they're supposed to go?"

"Only for those who haven't learned how to control night vision," Jist said.

"That's an option?" Carmen's mind was still overflowing with questions about how the elves worked, what exactly was going on. She was entirely sure that she was going to explode if Jist gave her another vague answer.

Carmen heard Jist sigh, sounding a little bit... amused?

"You certainly have a lot of questions," he finally said.

"Well, isn't that a good thing?" Carmen asked, lowering her head so her hair would fall around her face in a curtain. "'Sides, you've taken me to a place I've only ever heard of, and it's completely different than what I've imagined it would be like. I also didn't know about this elf race that I'm apparently part of."

"I suppose. And yes, night vision _is_ an option, but that small ability is something you learn in Exillium."

"Exillium?" Carmen asked, her curiosity finally spilling over. "What's that?"

"I had a feeling you'd be asking about that," Jist sighed. "Just try to focus on what we're here for."

Carmen stopped her questions. "Okay."

"Just through here," Carden whispered. "It's okay, Carmen."

Carmen hadn't heard his voice in only a few minutes and yet she jumped a little when his soft voice echoed through the corridor. She lifted her head and glanced at Carden before she looked at the door. Then she looked back at Carden, her stomach becoming light and jittery, her tongue seemingly not operating properly, and her feet glued to the floor. Jist gave her a little nudge, his expression seeming to say, "It's okay. I'm right here."

Carden gave a single nod, then tilted his head towards the door. He gave her that reassuring smile again. Carmen's feet detached from the floor and moved, step by step. She gulped as Carden slowly pulled open the door and a bright, white light enveloped the trio.

* * *

"I want to show you something. But, I might want to warn you: it's a little shocking to physically see."

"I think I'll be able to handle it."

The man sighed. "Alright."

A light flickered against the wall, then became a rectangular screen. The sound crackled a little bit before it stabilized itself, and the quality of the view was poor. When people began talking, the view cleared up, showing a darkened hallway with three figures.

" _...it's always been like this._ "

" _Doesn't that make it a little hard for the others coming for one of these readings to see where they're supposed to go?_ "

The young person who gazed at the screen leaned closer, trying to capture a better look at who she was watching.

" _That's an option_?"

The taller figure in the corridor sighed. " _You certainly have a lot of questions_."

"She sounds like… me," the girl said to the silhouetted man.

The man chuckled. "Yes. Especially when I first met you."

The girl rolled her eyes and looked back to the screen. The view had gotten closer, revealing that both girls seemed to be about the same age, and the boy next to the girl was similar to someone that the girl watching knew.

"... _ls_ _o didn't know about this elf race that I'm apparently part of_."

" _I suppose. And yes, night vision is an option, but that small ability is something you learn in Exillium_."

The girl gasped. "Exillium?"

The man only nodded.

"Where is this?"

"Finish watching. Maybe you'll learn more."

The girl reluctantly turned back to the screen.

"... _ay_."

" _Just through here. It's okay, Carmen._ "

Carmen looked stuck, unable to move. She looked around the hall, looking at the boy, then the man. The man pulled on the door, a bright, white light leaking through into the corridor, enveloping the trio as they walked through.

Then the screen flickered off, leaving the girl deep in thought.

"Given all you've already seen and done since you've arrived to live in the Lost Cities, I'm certain that this is something that won't stay completely shocking to you. Of course, I could be wrong, but you definitely have a knack for figuring things out," the man said. "Our most advanced Technopaths have recently discovered a sort of strange activity in the universe. They found…" the man trailed off, unsure if he was about to use the correct words for his explanation.

But in the girl's head it had already clicked into place. "You mean… they found an alternate reality?"

The man hesitated. "Yes."

The girl's head began to spin. That Carmen girl _did_ remind her a lot of herself, and that teenage looking boy did remind her of a close friend of hers. Carmen asked questions, seemed awfully shy around the other two people, and all her features that the girl had seen was exactly the same as to her own: long blonde-ish hair, irregular eyes compared to elves, and human clothes that indicated she was going through what she herself had long ago. Her mind starting to fill up with more questions that no one would know the answers to yet. But there was one that called to be released and asked much louder than any of the other questions that swam around and around.

"There's another me?"

* * *

Tada! A twist. I'm 100% sure you know who this girl is- and possibly the man. And still...

 **GO CHECK OUT:**

 _Double Trouble_ by my good friend Paris (KOTLC 1 Fan)

 _Payback's a Nightmare_ by Xylia Neo

 _Found_ by Saphara

 _The Matchmakers_ by twinkletoestbh

 _Lodestar: KOTLC fanfic version_ by strawbr'yblond periwinkle love

Kay? We good? Good. Have fun reading those if you haven't already, and please leave a review! I hope this is good enough to fill you guys with words that refer themselves to KOTLC. Hang in there while I'm gone, guys! Sorry, but I'm gone again.

*breeze suddenly blows around author's figure. the figure fades away, seemingly following the leaves that blew with the wind*


	9. Eight

YAY! I was able to write this and get it posted! You no longer have to suffer from that cliffhanger! Ahem... Anyway, people reviewed so yea.

Paris: Of course I still want to do that collab! I know. Cliffhangers _are_ cruel things, but I felt that that was a great way to end a chapter. But you don't have to suffer anymore!

Bookwyrm: I think you meant "Back the T-rex up." Haha. But yes. There's another Carmen/person spying on our little green-eyed protagonist. DUPLICATES OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! Okay. To vanish at will you have to think of where you want to go, and think of some sort of exit. Like wrapping a piece of fabric around yourself and sinking to the ground, then having something take it off. You'll be gone and where you want to be. It's simple, but it might take some practice. Haha. All of the exclamation points. You don't have to hang in there anymore now!

This chapter didn't take too long for me to write, but I still think it's going to make you guys happy. Enjoy! *throws confetti at you and blows a party horn, making the chapter fade onto your screen*

* * *

"Did you know about this?"

"No. What you just told me is something I have never heard of, though it definitely sounds interesting," a voice said through the screen of an imparter.

Sophie sighed. "So that means you weren't involved in the research."

"Nope. I mean, it would be awesome to participate in something that meant so much if it were ever to be discovered by Technopaths. It would be the discovery of a lifetime!"

"Dex," Sophie said, "I want to get to the bottom of this. Alden just showed me something that I'll never forget, and it's leaving even more unanswered questions in my head."

"You know I want in now that you say that, right?" Dex said. "And I also want to see what Alden showed you."

"Yes, I assumed you would," Sophie sighed. "I'll ask Alden if he'd been able to save it somehow, though I'm not entirely sure they will let you see it. They showed me because I'm the Moonlark who was probably going to figure it out on her own anyway."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"Only the Council, Alden, Grady and Edaline, you, me, and the Technopaths that did the research know. I had to ask for the Council's permission just to tell you. I kind of exploded and told my parents when I got home."

"Do you plan on telling anyone else?" Dex asked.

"I _want_ to tell Fitz, Biana and Keefe, don't get me wrong, but this could be another thing that could get them in danger again," Sophie answered. "I already regret telling you."

"And why is that?"

"I don't want you, or anyone for that matter, getting hurt again because of me. It's happened before. Many times."

"I'm honestly okay with all that's happened; it's in the past, Sophie. If I can let it go, so can you," Dex told her simply. But Sophie could see that Dex's arm had moved. Most likely to that thumb sized burn on his side that he got many months ago… because of her.

She sighed for the third time. "If you can forgive me for the pain I've caused you and everyone else, I will."

"I already have forgiven you. It's time for you to forgive yourself, Sophie."

The sound of glass clinking together and a faint _boom_ emitted from Dex's end of the line.

"I have to go. Dad probably went too far with the experimenting again."

Sophie's screen then went blank, leaving her in silence in her bedroom.

"Forgive myself," she muttered. "I just have to forgive myself."

A couple knocks rapped on her door frame. "Hey, kiddo. Did you find anything?"

Sophie jumped and turned her head to the door. Grady stood leaning against the door frame with a bright smile on his face.

"No. Dex wasn't involved. I thought it was worth trying, but I knew it was a long shot."

Grady walked closer and sat on the edge of her bed. "Can you give me any more information than, 'Dad! Alden just showed me an alternate reality! I need to hail Dex!'?"

Sophie smiled at Grady's attempt of mimicking her and her rushed entrance back to Havenfield. "So, Alden showed me a…" Sophie trailed off, wanting to use the correct words so Grady would understand. "a video recording of some sort, of a group of three walking down a corridor. I found that the girl's name is Carmen, and she seemed a lot like me when Fitz brought me here: shy and inquisitive."

Sophie told him the whole story, from how Alden had hailed her, telling her to come to Everglen to the end of the video and how it had left with more unanswered questions. He only nodded at each new piece of information as he waited for her to finish.

"Looks like you've got another situation on your hands," Grady said when she stopped. "I'm sure you will figure it out with time; and with the help of your friends."

Sophie glanced down, her eyes welling up with tears as sadness stabbed at her heart. "I miss Mr. Forkle. He would probably give me some speech on being patient or not diving in head first without looking. He would be a big help right now, though, too."

"I know you miss him, kiddo. As eccentric as he was, he was a great friend to you, and no one will ever forget what he did just to keep you and your friends safe."

Sophie's tears spilled over as she leaned in closer to Grady, resting her head on his chest. "He wouldn't have died if I had just stayed where I was."

"You don't know that. You need to stop blaming yourself for things that could've happened with or without you around." Grady wrapped his arms around Sophie's slouching figure, pulling her in tightly for a hug. "Nothing is only one person's fault."

Sophie sniffed. "Alden was put in severe danger when my abilities were broken, Kenric died when I wasn't aware of Fintan's sudden sparking of Everblaze, Calla had to sacrifice herself because I almost started a war, Mr. Forkle risked his own life to find Edaline but I went in to find her anyway, leaving him searching in Luminaria's crumbling castle. It's always been because of me."

"Sophie," he said softly, "Nothing has been because of you. No one knew your abilities were broken at the time, Fintan has always been unpredictable, and we didn't know he'd be able to call down Everblaze in that state, Calla chose to sacrifice herself because she understood what the Panacks' story really meant, and Mr. Forkle only wanted to keep you safe, so he chose to look for your mom himself." He lifted her head gently. "You were part of their lives, and I'm sure they were happy to have been able to have you in them."

Sophie blinked. Grady's voice had a trace of finality in it, and she knew that she had to stop blaming herself for all that had happened during the time she had moved to the Lost Cities.

Sophie wrapped her arms around Grady's middle. "Thanks."

"Anytime. I know you will be able to figure this out. You are Sophie Foster after all."

She smiled. _I just have to forgive myself and stop blaming myself. If I can do that, I think that my life could be easier,_ she thought. _How hard could that be?_

* * *

I think that you guys are now going to complain about how I ended with another cliffhanger. But, oh well. I guess I deserve _some_ complaints.

And still...

 **IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, PLEASE GO CHECK OUT:**

Paris's (KOTLC 1 Fan) _Double Trouble_

Xylia Neo's _Payback's a Nightmare_

twinkletoestbh's _The Matchmakers_

Saphara's _Found_

strawbr'yblond periwinkle love's _Lodestar: KOTLC fanfic version_

Please be satisfied with this for the time being. But... yea. I don't have much else to say. Have a good life until I return!

*snaps fingers and the author's figure instantly disappears*


End file.
